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Social Science Computer Review
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Chronemic Cues and Sex Differences in Relational E-Mail

Perceiving Immediacy and Supportive Message Quality

Andrew M. Ledbetter

Ohio University, Athens, ledbette{at}ohio.edu

Although major computer-mediated communication theories incorporate assumptions about the potency of chronemic cues, the claim that chronemic cues shape online message interpretation has received little empirical attention. This article reports the results of two studies designed to assess the influence of reply rate in benign and complex relational e-mail. Study 1 demonstrates that reply rate functions as an immediacy cue, with some evidence for overall sex differences in the perception of e-mail. Nevertheless, Study 2 demonstrates that reply rate is not directly associated with perceived quality of social support e-mail, instead finding a three-way interaction between emotional empathy, participant sex, and reply rate on message quality. Among the more important implications of these results is that although chronemic cues are significantly associated with online message interpretation, obtained effect sizes suggest that the influence of these cues is not as potent as some dominant computer-mediated communication theories imply.

Key Words: computer-mediated communication • chronemics • immediacy • social support • e-mail • emotional empathy

This version was published on November 1, 2008

Social Science Computer Review, Vol. 26, No. 4, 466-482 (2008)
DOI: 10.1177/0894439308314812
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[Abstract] [PDF]